10 MHz to 20 GHz, Integrated

Vector Network Analyzer Front-End

Preliminary Technical Data

ADL5960

Rev. PrB

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FEATURES

Wideband matched bidirectional bridge

Wideband high directivity: 15 dB typical at 20 GHz

Low insertion loss: <2 dB typical

Output flat frequency response: >1 dB

Phase synchronized measurement across multiple ports

Multiple local oscillator input configurations

Direct 10 MHz to 20 GHz frequency

On-chip frequency multipliers

Low frequency divider

IF synchronization with an ADC clock

5-bit SPI readable temperature sensor

Active supply current: 110 mA at 5.0 V (THRU = 0x00,

IFMODE = 0x3, and LOMODE = 0x1)

3 mm × 4mm, 26-lead LFCSP

Low power shutdown mode

IF amplifiers with programmable gain and programmable filter

bandwidth

APPLICATIONS

Broadband inline power and s-parameter measurements

Magnitude and phase RF power measurement

Automated test equipment

Vector network analyzers

Reflectometers

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The ADL5960 is a wideband, front-end vector network

analyzer that consists of a bidirectional bridge, downconverters,

programmable IF amplifiers, and a configurable local oscillator

(LO) interface. The bidirectional bridge is the primary

transmission line from RFIN to RFOUT, is wideband impedance

matched to RFIN and RFOUT, has a flat frequency response with

<2 dB insertion loss, and provides 15 dB of high directivity at

20 GHz.

The ADL5960 has several programmable functions though the

serial port interface (SPI), such as frequency multipliers, frequency

dividers, output gain, and bandwidth. These functions optimize

the dynamic range measurement and simplify interfacing the

analog-to-digital converter (ADC) to the intermediate frequency

(IF) outputs and the frequency synthesizer to the LO.

The internal forward and reverse coupled ports from the

directional bridge interface with the downconverters, the IF

filter with programmable bandwidth, and the IF amplifiers with

programmable gain.

FUNCTIONAL BLOCK DIAGRAM

BIDIRECTIONAL BRIDGE

SPI

5

SPI

SPI

SPI

SPI

SPI

SPI

SPI

BIAS

TEMPERATURE

SENSOR

CAP

AVCC

IFRP

IFRM

VCM

TEMP

24

22

23

25

26

AGND

20

AGND

18

OVCC

1

5

ADL5960

9

10

12

11

13

RFOUT

19

21

17

16

15

14

÷2

×1

×2

×4

÷4

÷2

×1

Figure 1.

This interface enables dynamic range optimization and accuracy

of the forward and reverse power measurements. The IF amplifiers

have an adjustable output common-mode level and sufficient

drive capability to interface directly with a range of ADCs.

The LO interface supports a variety of different operating modes

(thru, divider, and offset) that simplify measurements swept with

RF and LO frequencies. A combination of frequency dividers and

multipliers in the LO interface use a 6 GHz frequency synthesizer

to enable operation over the full 20 GHz bandwidth. Alternatively,

the RF input frequency can sweep the LO frequency and a separate

reference clock can synchronize the IF output frequency to the

connected ADC sample frequency. Sampling the frequency of the

connected ADC centers the IF output frequency in the first

Nyquist zone. The synchronization function stops and restarts the

dividers in the LO and IF inputs to allow phase synchronization

across multiple ports.

The ADL5960 is available in a 26-lead, 3 mm × 4 mm LFCSP.